UCL Disabled Students' Network Report: disabled access and the attainment gap

The first of three articles on the DSN report explores accessibility at UCL and the attainment gap between white and ethnic minority students. 

Source: UCL Imagestore

“Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward” reads UCL’s time-honoured motto, but is this rallying cry for inclusivity reflected in the admission, achievements, and personal experiences of ethnic minority students? Or rather, is it image-building, top of every educational institution’s social responsibility agenda, but in reality, nothing more than empty words? One of the principal themes in UCL’s strategy is to provide “an accessible, publicly engaged organisation”. To what extent, then, does UCL ensure equitable access to education for students from diverse backgrounds?  

Bridging the attainment gap between ethnic minority and white students 

In 2019, the advocacy organisations Universities UK and the National Union of Students UK published a report investigating the underlying causes of the disparity in academic achievement between ethnic minority students and their white counterparts. With respect to the graduates of 2018, there was found to be a 13 per cent difference between those awarded a first or an upper second-class degree and those who were not: for white students, this figure stood at 76 per cent, compared to only 63 per cent for ethnic minority students.  

The report highlights the ethnic differentials in educational performance, which is influenced by factors such as the lack of representation of ethnic minority staff in senior academic and university leadership roles. In a typical cohort of 100 lecturers, 90 per cent are white and only two per cent are women from an ethnic minority background. Despite the attainment gap, the report notes that progress has been made in giving influential speakers from ethnic minority communities a platform to share their ideas and experiences, whether it be via student unions, talks, or special interest groups that strive to widen participation in higher education. 

The report features case studies conducted across UK universities evaluating the effectiveness of strategies deployed to bridge the attainment gap and eliminate the barriers preventing ethnic minority students from reaching their full potential. A promising case in point is Glasgow Caledonian University, who have taken steps to internationalise their curriculum by integrating an Intercultural Awareness Workshop into five different university modules.  

The workshop was designed to improve students’ cultural awareness and help them develop the skills to become active global citizens. The workshop also focused on the unconscious bias in academic, social, and professional environments, with the aim of increasing students’ cultural competence. Since the pilot launch in November 2018, over 2,500 students have enrolled in the workshop, with the positive reception resulting in the project winning a Student Engagement Award the following year.  

Access for disabled students 

While the attainment gap is a high-priority issue that must be addressed by UCL’s Senior Equality Champions, it’s unfortunately not the only way in which structural inequalities exist in higher education. In January 2019, former Minister of State for Universities, Chris Skidmore, pushed for greater action to encourage disabled students to enter university and to break down the barriers that are preventing them from successfully completing their studies.  

Among the 2017-18 cohort of university students in the UK, over 94,000 were registered with a disability, accounting for 13 per cent of entrants. Although this is a 38 per cent increase from 2013-14, it’s still considerably lower than the number of disabled working-age adults, indicating that there’s still substantial progress to be made before disabled students receive fair representation in higher education. However, it’s not simply a question of accepting disabled students onto university courses, as this doesn’t guarantee they’ll be fully integrated into university life.  

Sarah-Marie Da Silva is a zoology undergraduate at the University of Hull. In February of this year, Sarah-Marie, who is a wheelchair user, posted a photo of herself on social media revealing how she had been left with no choice but to remain on the stairs of her lecture hall due to the venue’s lack of wheelchair access. Separated from the other students and left without a writing desk, Sarah-Marie was informed that because her lectures were being delivered in a listed building, the university was not at liberty to authorise any structural changes to the lecture hall. 

Not only does the exclusion of disabled students from shared learning environments prevent them from interacting with their peers, but it’s also deeply othering and at odds with the 2010 Equality Act. This Act of Parliament requires reasonable adjustments to be made to public buildings to accommodate disabled people, and listed buildings are not exempt from this requirement. While it’s not legal to change a listed building to the extent that it compromises its historical character, modifications are allowed, such as the installation of temporary ramps or platform lifts. Even more concerning is that Sarah-Marie's experience is hardly an isolated incident. 

Image credit: UCL Students’ Union

The Disabled Students’ Network 

In January of this year, UCL’s Disabled Students’ Network, a collective dedicated to advocating for the rights of students with physical disabilities and mental health conditions, published their flagship report, which lays bare the experiences of disabled students and the institutional failings of UCL’s disability services. Evidence from personal testimonies reveals the lack of facilities adapted for disabled use and the difficulty of reaching many teaching rooms and study spaces on campus due to the inaccessibility of buildings to disabled people. Students frequently commented on the lack of accessible toilets, noting that the few that are provided are poorly maintained, for example, with twisted emergency cords. Students also criticised the design of buildings, with rooms often located at the far end of a sequence of heavy double doors which are difficult to use for those with compromised mobility. 

The report urges UCL Estates, who’s responsible for maintaining, developing, and delivering building projects across UCL, to perform an accessibility audit and reassess the design of public facilities, for example, by adapting disabled toilets so that they’re in compliance with the RADAR key scheme. UCL Estates’ strategic principles for an inclusive environment maintain that “the estate should value and support diversity and difference”, but the personal testimonies of disabled students suggest that UCL Estates are not delivering on this aim. Ultimately, the fundamental bases of educational equity are fairness and inclusivity: the assurance that no matter who you are or where you come from, you’re given equal opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed.  

This article was written with the help of former Pi Media member Matilda Singer.